Moments In Time
by bluedoggie95
Summary: Some things stand brighter in Sophie and Howl's memories than others.


Sophie paced around angrily. Calcifer buried himself deeper into the crackling logs as she approached the hearth before her feet rapidly turned her body around, causing her silver hair to whip around her face before falling back into place. Calcifer peered out of the logs carefully, angling himself to get a closer look at Sophie. Her face was thunderous, with a slight hint of worry mixed in with the fire. Calcifer wondered idly what the two could possibly have fought about this time. They had fought over everything humanly possible, or so the small fire demon had thought.

_Trust Howl to find something unknown to anyone in this world to fight about, _Calcifer thought wryly as he watched Sophie come closer and then move further away again and again as the minutes ticked by. An hour or so went by without any sign of Howl's return before Sophie threw her arms up in anguished despair.

"Oh! Just look at what that stupid man is doing to me! I don't even care if that forsaken man ever makes it home, tonight or even the rest of this week!" She cried out angrily, looking like she was ready to kill something at any moment. Calcifer shrunk further into the almost nonexistent logs, alarmed. He badly needed a new one and soon, but was way too afraid of asking Sophie, not in her current mood. "I'm going to bed!" Sophie declared towards the struggling fire demon as she angrily threw in two more logs and slamming several beside the hearth and getting up to walk up the stairs and into her room. She turned around once more, a single hand lightly gripping the mahogany stairwell to say one last thing to Calcifer before turning in.

"And if my deadbeat _ex_-boyfriend should ever bother to even come home please tell him I never want to see him again and that the only thing stopping me from walking out that door is you, Markl, and Grandma!" Sophie quickly fled up the stairs and into her room, leaving a loud door slam and her lead-filled words in her wake. Calcifer blinked a few times as he absorbed her words. Through all of their fights he had never seen her look so downcast and those angry words were said with a certain malice that made him quite sure she meant them. Their fights were never this bad, and they had some pretty rough ones.

Muffled sobs rang out quietly through the empty house, succeeding in telling Calcifer that this was indeed, their worst fight ever. The only time he had ever seen or heard Sophie cry was when she thought she had killed Howl and Calcifer, and that was around a month ago. Several possibilities filtered in through his mind, and he was flipping through them carefully before discarding them without a second thought. He was so absorbed in the possibility that Sophie and Howl's month anniversary passed that he barely registered that a dripping Howl had entered and was now leaning over him expectantly.

Calcifer jumped back in time for some of the rain in Howl's hair to hit his logs. He glared at up at him but Howl seemed to take no notice. Instead he threw off his red and silver coat, revealing his white v-necked, long sleeved shirt and beaded necklace, and stepped out of his boots. It was then that Calcifer noticed a small blue box wrapped with a small silver ribbon. His eyebrows shot up at Howl's question.

"Calcifer, do you have any inkling to where Sophie might be?" he said it kindly but Calcifer felt as if he threw ice cold water onto his head. He glared at him angrily; taking in Howl's shocked expression with slight satisfaction. "What ever in the world is that look about?" he asked incredulously.

"As if you don't know! Sophie is upstairs crying her eyes out because of you!" Howl gave him a shocked, slightly horrified look as he proceeded to give him Sophie's message. As he finished the part about her only staying because of him, grandma, and Markl, Howl had already dashed up the stairs and stood besides her door. He could already hear the heartbreaking sobs that were racking through his beloved's body. He raised his fist and knocked quietly.

"Sophie?" he called out softly, "I know you're in there," no answer. "Please sweetie, answer me." A hint of urgency rang through his tone as Sophie didn't respond. He let himself in quietly, using magic to unlock her door. She was lying on her side, her dress still on but was rumpled and creased as she lay cradled in the middle of her bed. He walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder and almost cried when she flinched away as if he hit her. "Sweetie, I'm not going away until you talk to me," the only reply he received was a sob from Sophie.

He sighed, and gently slipped into her bed, wrapping his arm around her so she didn't leave. She seemed to cry harder at the simple touch.

"Baby, please just look at me," he pleaded. Sophie cried harder, breaking Howl's heart with every tear. "Please, you're all I have." His voice cracked but he continued on. "I've lost everything, everyone that I loved. I-I can't stand to lose you either, please!" his mask cracked and the tears overflowed from his eyes and onto his rosy cheeks. "Please, just look at me," his voice cracked as the tears overrode his sight. He felt Sophie move a little in his arms and she finally twisted around in his arms to look at him.

Even though tears streaked across her face and her eyes were bloodshot, Howl felt as though Sophie was the most beautiful girl, his own personal angel. She was still sobbing as she threw her arms around him and clung to him as though he were her lifeline. They sat there, holding each other for god knows how long before the last tear slipped from Sophie's eyes and she looked up from his drenched chest and into his face.

"Baby, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Will you allow me to explain things to you?" he asked her gently, she nodded but looked down. Howl, on the other hand, was having none of that. He took his hand and cupped her chin, gently but firmly bringing her head to face him. "I know you think I was flirting with that Madame," he began, holding her face up and staring purposely into her soft hazel eyes. Disbelief mixed with hope shone from her face.

"If you weren't flirting with her, what were you doing?" Sophie was quiet and her voice cracked as her eyes shot downwards. Surprisingly, Howl began to laugh loudly. Her eyes shot up incredulously and stared up into Howl's face. He smiled at her and gently reached over and picked up the forgotten blue box.

"I was convincing her to part with this jewel for you," he said in a low voice. "She was a merchant of necklaces and other jewelry, and I thought this would be perfect for you." He said and lightly placed it into her lap. She looked at him, shocked. He laughed gently again and gestured for her to open it. She did so and gasped at what was inside. A beautiful silver ring shone on the inside. Several diamonds were incased around a beautiful emerald, shaping into a shining flower.

"Howl…" she breathed out, shocked at what she was seeing, it couldn't be, could it. Howl softly got on one knee, taking Sophie's small hand into his larger one. Sophie felt fresh tears slowly slip down her cheeks as he started to speak.

"Sophie, I am a vain, narcissistic fool who used to care for nothing but bragging about himself. But will you give me a new, better thing to brag about?" he asked her gently, his eyes shining brightly, begging her to say yes. Sophie didn't say anything, merely sat there for several moments. Howl was beginning to wonder if she was in shock or even thinking of ways to refuse him when she suddenly screamed, wrapped her arms around him with such force that he fell to the ground in surprise as she pressed her lips forcefully onto his. It was a passionate, almost angry kiss, to which Howl accepted gracefully, returning her enthusiasm with great passion. After several more moments of bliss, Howl gently pulled away in order for them to breathe.

"I'm guessing that's a yes?" he said with a chuckle. Sophie responded by smacking him lightly on the back of his head and ordering him out of her room so she could dress into her nightdress and go to sleep. He merely laughed and offered her a space in his bed, to which she politely declined and pushed him rather forcefully out of the room but not before giving him one last, meaningful kiss goodnight.

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I was reading through the oneshots and decided to put in my own version. I'm not sure about so please tell me what you thought! I am going to add more chapters soon but I want to know if you guys think I should keeping gone in like this, starting off on the next day or if I should do it like a series of one-shots, like their marriage, kids, things like that.

love,

bluedoggie


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